I imagine that many viewers will be a thrown a bit by the nature of "The American Gladiators Documentary", as it won't be what is expected from this type of material. What it will do, however, is tell a compelling redemption story of a man lost to the sands of time given the credit he rightfully deserves.
For a very basic overview, the main subject of this documentary is the origin of the popular late-80s/early-90s TV series "American Gladiators". Though fronted by enigmatic (once an Elvis impersonator!) showman Johnny Ferraro, the concept was largely established by Dan Carr and other members of the Erie, PA steelworkers union--a series of challenges to determine the toughest individual. But until this point, Carr's story was largely lost to history--eclipsed (if not out-and-out erased) by Ferraro's flamboyance and egotism.
Interspersed with this material is indeed what traditionally might be expected of this doc--footage of the classic show, stories (from triumphant to tragic) of the gladiators/contestants, and the basic overall purview of the entire project. It's not like the actual event and people are ignored--they simply take a back seat to the Ferraro vs. Carr drama.
Now, don't get me wrong--"The American Gladiators Documentary" is a tremendous redemption arc for Carr. It is sort of "Batman & Bill" (a doc shedding light on Bill Finger's creation of the Batman character) meets "King of Kong" (hero/villain archetypes at play in real people). Viewers will almost certainly smile seeing Carr finally get some credit for what he helped create with Ferraro.
Overall, I give this doc an 8/10. It probably doesn't focus as much on the "gladiator stuff" show-wise as perhaps it should, but instead the Carr vs. Ferraro arc is pretty compelling in its own right.